Dimmer switch?

[RUSTY Cuda]

Got my dash half apart again, figgured I'd check the switches on the bench, shouldn't there be some kind of continuity on the terminals of the dimmer switch, have 2 switches & no reading between any of the posts.
I have no dash lights & no running lights, all bulbs were replaced, but still have some wires hanging? Rich.

[Bullitt-]

Yep you should be able to read something...  running lights are not part of the dash dimmer suspect ground to body issues with the new paint
 
On the dash dimmer try some contact cleaner, if that doesn't work it's not hard to disassemble

[Scatterbrain]

The stuff I used and worked very well was RC cleaner for cleaning RC car engines.  The stuff just melted the dirt and grime away.  My dash lights never looked so bright.

[RUSTY Cuda]

I figgered they were seperate, running lights seem to go through the middle two posts on the headlight switch, i have continuity there, I have headlights, blinkers, flashers & I think brake lights, my hi low beam switch is not hooked up yet, just don't want to have to take this dash apart again after this! If it gets a little warmer today I'm gonna check for power & grounds, maybe get a few more lines hooked up to see what I have! Thanks Rich.

[Slotts]

Rusty,

Looking at the back of the circuit board of the dimmer, you should be reading between 0 ohms (full bright) and 12 ohms (dimmest before cut off) through the center and right spade lugs.
Any drops during it's travel will show up as corrosion on the collector arm or resister coil. No continuity at all will mean there is a break in the resistor coil.
When turned full counter clockwise after the click, you should have continuity through the left spade lug and the metal chassis.

Hope that helps.

Slotts

[RUSTY Cuda]

K, got one switch dimmer section (Coil) to work, the other is fried (was thinkin maybe a drip of hot solder in there would fix it for an emergency???) anyway I think you answered my next question, the point to the other side seems not to connect to anything in the switch, so If I'm correct, this is just grounding the yellow wires, to complete the dome light circuit?  Rich.

[Slotts]

Rich,

You're right, the tooth on the bottom side of the resistor coil tray presses down on that contact arm when turned fully counter clockwise and completes the circuit for your dome light. It looks like your resistor coil is broken where I put a red circle.
I wouldn't use solder on it. The resistor coil can get hot. You can see the charing around the break point compared to the other end.

Slotts

[RUSTY Cuda]

Just a thought, I put the other switch in, still no dash or running lights, but ran out of time to check further, next trip out I'll dig a little deeper, but she fired right up let it warm up a while & charge the battery. I think I enjoyed the grunt (body) work more than this!  Rich.

[Bullitt-]

You know those dash panel lights have to be mounted to be grounded & the headlight switch flipped to the middle or full on position to get power to the dimmer, & I guess the dimmer has to be grounded to be able to supply ground to the dome lamp.

[Aussie Challenger]

  After 30 odd years the ground terminals have been weakened, it pays to run new ground wires off of your dash so there is a good return circuit. That is one of the problems I found out why my wipers wouldn't retract. Now they work , the dash lights are brighter and there is less likely that I will have a guage problem.